One Moment in Time
by LynLin
Summary: [AU] Moments are fleeting, and Kagome watches them go by. She doesn't want that anymore. It's not her decision though, is it? In the end, she'll do what it takes to make everyone happy...even at her own expense. [onesidedInuKag] [hints of SessKag]


_flowers flowers flowers _

_even though there are so many cute flowers, _

_I can only see that one flower_

----------

_butterfly, butterfly, beautiful butterfly_

_wearing a crown of gold and a cloth of flowers_

A jovial girl dashes up the stairs. "Hurry up slowpoke!" she calls behind her.

A woman follows at a quicker pace, out of breath. "Kagome, we're only going to arrange the transfer. Why are you so excited?"

"Mom! It's because I really like this school!" And she smiles brilliantly.

"You're going to transferring again soon, but do what you like," she replies with a confused glance at her daughter.

_you love flowers, they love you too_

_you can dance, they smell sweet_

She laughs. "I want to stay here longer than usual."

The school is built on a hill. In this season, the surrounding view is a carpet of green.

A group of boys walk past her. One with cold amber eyes looks at her, but she doesn't notice him. She sees someone else.

_Is this the so-called "love at first sight"?_ she thinks. _I've found…that one flower._

His name is InuYasha, she finds out later. He's in Kagome's class and sits two seats in front of her.

_you love flowers, they love you too_

_you can dance, they smell sweet_

"Step back!" he cries as he leaps through the window with his beautiful silver hair flying wildly behind him.

A slip of the foot, a fall, and a crash.

"Sorry!" A fierce grin. "We were playing tag, and we got a little out of control!"

_No way_, she thinks as she covers her mouth in shock, _it's him. _

"Ah…"

All the classmates look at the floor where the bucket of water lies. Of course, the water is no longer in the bucket.

"I just finished cleaning…" she says in wonder.

5 minutes later, she watches him in bewilderment.

"Oh, it's okay!" she tries in vain.

"I knocked it over, so you don't have to clean it up!" he protests.

"…but I did put the bucket there…"

"Then…" he stops to think and reaches in his pocket. "I'll treat you to some candy!"

She laughs but takes it anyway. They finish their after school cleaning.

"---So you change schools often?" he asks as he walks her home.

"Yep. We move a lot because of my father's job."

"Wow. I've never had to transfer, but I get the feeling that you're able to make a lot of friends in a short time."

She becomes flustered. "What, talking like this so suddenly? Here, have some candy!"

"Eh? Isn't that the candy I gave you earlier?"

"It doesn't matter."

She gives it to him. She is happy.

"Wait up---" A girl bumps into her.

Kagome stumbles.

"Sorry!" She bows, looking a bit ashamed. "Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry!"

Kagome protests. She claims that she's fine. As they watch the other girl leave, Kagome notices the patch on her shirt.

"So she's a senpai…" she muses. "She's still so cute, right InuYasha?"

He doesn't answer.

"InuYasha?"

She turns toward him and stops. She sees the same look in his eyes that appears when she looks at him…only…he's staring at the girl.

The walk home continues in silence.

"Eh?"

"I know it's a bit sudden, and you've only been in school a few days…" her father starts.

"...but we have to move quickly. We can't let your dad go on a business trip by himself," her mother finishes.

She thinks of InuYasha's grinning face as her mother adds, "We leave in three days."

If only time could stand still.

If only they had moved before she got those feelings. And as her time here draws to a close, InuYasha will…

She pictures the girl's smiling face. She really was cute.

In three days…it will all end.

She thinks she'll miss it.

"Wow! You're skipping class, too?"

The sun creates a halo around his silver head.

"Hmm…?" she blinks her eyes open. And screams. She forgets for a second that she's on the roof but remembers herself again.

He laughs at her reaction as she tries to explain that he scared her. He still laughs.

"Today's weather is especially good," he confides. "I brought a first aid kit."

He takes out a plastic bag filled with candy and snacks.

"This sort of day is for lazing in the sun and storing up your energy! That way, on rainy days, you'll have enough strength for work! And that way, every day will be like a sunny day…" he informs her. "…smiling all the time!"

His smile is spellbinding. So she bursts out laughing. His face grows red, and he starts to yell at her to stop. She can't stop.

"If it weren't for you…" she begins, "I love it! That's what I like about you!"

"Thanks," he replies, not really getting it, "okay, you can stop laughing now."

She can't help it when tears come out. _I like you…so much. _But he doesn't see.

_butterfly, butterfly, beautiful butterfly_

_wearing a crown of gold_

Later in the day, the PA is interrupted when she hears a familiar voice.

"Bye!" she calls out to her friends.

She bumps into her again.

"Ah! Sorry!" Then she notices. "Didn't I bump into you two days ago? I'm sorry! Twice in a row!"

She looks mortified. Then she looks at Kagome's hand.

"Oh no! You're bleeding!"

A small cut on her knuckle is noticeable. Kagome figures she must have scraped it on the table corner, but before she is able to say so, the other girl rushes her to the infirmary.

"I'm always so clumsy, and I'm always hurting other people!" Other Girl wails in the infirmary, ignoring Kagome when she tries to tell her that she isn't really injured…

"We need to call your parents! I'm Kikyou, you are?"

"We don't need to contact my parents. I'm Kagome. It's nothing major; raise your head!"

"You're such a good girl," sniffs Kikyou.

Kagome thinks that Kikyou's expression is constantly changing, like a cute and innocent child. She figures InuYasha must like her a lot.

"So you're not going home with InuYasha today?"

She blushes. Kagome can't help it. "Eh? InuYasha?"

"Didn't you go home together yesterday? Are you going out?"

_No!!_

Kikyou continues on, oblivious to Kagome's distress, "InuYasha's on the student council. Everybody's talking about you two."

It's Kagome's turn to interrupt when she asks, "Senpai…you have someone you like, don't you?"

Kikyou freezes. Tears develop, and she tries hard to hide them.

"Oh! Senpai?"

"You can tell?" comes a muffled voice. Kikyou hides her face in her arms. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to ruin your relationship. I'll just watch from the sidelines. Kagome, I'm sorry. I like InuYasha."

Kagome isn't very surprised, but to hear it out loud… Tears fall from Kikyou's eyes.

"But I never thought of…"

"Senpai! You can keep liking him. It's alright," Kagome assures her. "Please listen. InuYasha and I…we aren't going out. We're only friends, so it's alright…"

The tears that fall from Kagome's eyes go unnoticed as a new bout of tears emerges from Kikyou's joy.

_butterfly, butterfly, beautiful butterfly_

_wearing a crown of gold and a cloth of flowers_

If only she hadn't met them.

_you love flowers, they love you too_

_you can dance, they become prettier_

_you can dance, they smell sweet_

InuYasha and Kikyou…and this school…

"Hi!" InuYasha greets her the next day.

"InuYasha? What?"

"Come and sit here. I don't know why…I just suddenly wanted to see your face."

Kagome blushes. He was waiting for her? And he wanted to see her? But then she notices InuYasha's attention is on something else.

_Liar. _

He wasn't looking for her at all. Out the window, there is a clear view of Kikyou laughing with her friends.

_I must be---like a butterfly fluttering around you, never being of any use, _she thinks.

Even butterflies leave the flower when they know there is no more pollen. They just have to realize…

At home, she looks at her calendar. It's moving day.

Even though she knows that he blooms for someone else, she still hopes…

But on her last day, she vows not to cry.

"Look!" she announces as she holds a piece of paper in front of Kikyou's face. It's a movie ticket. Kikyou's face glows. She can't hide her excitement.

"Let's go see it together tomorrow."

"We'll see it no matter what!" Kikyou agrees.

"Tomorrow morning at 11 in front of the train station!"

"I'll be waiting!" Kikyou hugs her.

Kagome runs to where InuYasha is. He's with his friends again. She calls his name, and he nods to them as he walks over to her.

She watches them nod back at him. One of them glances at her for a second and turns away abruptly. How strange. Was his name Sesshoumaru?

"Tomorrow, let's go see a movie together!"

InuYasha looks at the ticket warily. "Okay…but…cartoons?"

"Don't underestimate cartoons!" she scolds playfully. "Tomorrow morning at 11 in front of the train station, okay?"

When he agrees, she just smiles and looks at him. It unnerves him. She seems a bit off today.

"I think it was four days ago, when you walked me home. Actually, I'd been wanting to talk to you for a while before that. So that way, when I got to know you, I thought I was in a dream!" she confesses with that smile.

"Even thought I've never stayed at one school for more than a couple of weeks, and even though time flies," she continues, "the friends I make stay in my heart forever. So when you said I could make friends easily, I was really very happy!"

He continues to stare at her, disoriented.

"I'm going home now. Bye, InuYasha!"

She turns to leave.

"Kagome!"

She turns back.

"See ya!"

She stops and just takes a moment to look at him. Then she smiles brilliantly.

"See you tomorrow!"

Tomorrow morning, they'll forget she's supposed to be there. But later they might remember…and even talk about her.

She'll at least…

leave in them…

a memory of her.

She starts to run back home, the tears overflowing. She can't help it that she breaks her vow.

_Goodbye, goodbye_, she thinks.

A figure watches her run from the window of the school. He saw the whole thing and briefly wonders how InuYasha could be such an idiot. He regrets never having spoken to the girl. But it's too late now, isn't it?

_Even though we must part, even though it hurts inside, I have to smile bravely,_ she says in her mind.

She bites back a sob.

_Goodbye, goodbye_, she repeats again and again and again.

She really hopes one day in the future—

they will meet again.

_butterfly, butterfly, beautiful butterfly…_

_Owari_

Any grammatical errors you see in this fic are intentional. Unless there's something that makes absolutely so sense whatsoever…then yea. That was a mistake. So this is a one-shot that is based on chouchou-kurabe. My disclaimer will go here: I don't own InuYasha nor Chouchou-Kurabe. This fic is for my own entertainment only. I make no profit from it.

Confusing? It should be. Onesided InuKag, InuKik, and a hint of SessKag. OOC a bit, but I like it that way. Questions? PM, IM, or email me. I'd be happy to explain things. I hope you liked it and review!


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